Exploring the experiences of young people in residential care

Investigators:

Dr Tim Moore, Rhys Thorpe, Renee Crowe

Funding Source:

Life Without Barriers

Aim:

Young people are often placed in residential care settings in an attempt to provide them with safe, stable, nurturing environments free from risks of harm; and where better health, education, well-being and social outcomes can be achieved. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that many young people’s needs are not adequately met within residential care settings and that improvement in a range of domains is required.

Life Without Barriers (LWB) is a large provider of residential services to young people in NSW (among other states). Alongside other strategies to improve quality service delivery and to ensure that services and supports are meeting the needs of young people, Life Without Barriers has commissioned ICPS to gather some baseline data that informs service improvement, but also allows the organisation to be able to assess its progress. Interviews with children and young people in LWB residential care units will be conducted in November and December 2016 with an interim report prepared in January 2017.